Apparatus for classifying spherical articles



2 Sheets-Sheet l W. D. KMENTT APPARATUS FOR CLASSIFYINGr SPHERICAL ARTICLES Filed Marh 29, 1929 Aug. 8, 1933.

Aug. 8, 1933. w D. KMENTT 1,921,621

APPARATUS FOR CLASSIFYING SPHERICAL ARTICLES Filed March 29, 1929 2 sheets-sheet 2 l l i l l il Patented Aug. 8, 1933 APPARATUS FOR opAssirriNo srHiiaicAL Aarrcins Y a Waldemar D. Kxnentt, Akron,y Ohio, assigner to The B. F. Goodrich Company, New Ycrk, N. Y., a Corporation of NewYork `Application March 29,1929. Serial No. 35%,955

15 Claims.V (Cl. 209-97) This invention relates to appartus for sorting spherical articles, such as bearing balls, billiard balls, tennis balls, golf balls and golf-ball Acenters or cores, according to their size.

The chief object of the invention is to pro-A vide improved automatic apparatus lfor classifying, according to diameter, acontinuous succession of spherical articles. VAnother object is to provide apparatus of Vthe character mentioned having a wide Vrange as to the sizes o1 the articles it is adapted to classify. Other objects will be manifest as the speciiication proceeds.

Of the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1 is an elevation of apparatus embodying my invention in its-preferred form.

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig.,3 is ansection on line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 1. Referring to the drawings, is a support or base structure, 11, 12'are respective posts rising therefrom, and 13, 13 are upright frame members mounted'upon the base adjacent one side thereof. Mounted upon the upper ends of the posts 11, 1211s a journal bracket 14, and avertical, non-rotatable shaft is mounted with one end in the bracket 14 and its other end in the base structure 10. Journaled upon the shaft 15 is a rotatable drum 16 which is slightly tapered toward its upper end, and has its upper end provided with a gear 17 meshed with a pinion 18. end of a vertical shaft 19 journaled in an annular boss 20 formed on the journal bracket 14, and the upper end of the shaft 19 is provided with a bevel gear 21 meshed with a similar gear 22 on one,4 end of a horizontal drive-shaft 23 journaled in a pair of brackets 24, 25 rising from the journal bracket 14. The shaft 23 is driven from a suitable source of power `(not shown) by means of the pulley 26 and driving belt 27. l

Disposed concentric with the shaft 15 a and circumscribing the drum 16 for about half its circumference is an arcuate plate or shield 28 which is formed at one of its lateral margins with apertured radialv hinge-lugs 28a, 28a by r which it ispivotally mounted upon the post 12. 00 Each hinge lug 282L is recessed to receive a frustoconical member'29 disposed witheits tapered face tangential to the shaft 12 and 'having an axial threaded stem 30 extending through the,

lug and provided exteriorly thereof with `a hand vlever 31 mounted upon said threaded portion.

The latter is mounted upon the lower;`

The arrangement provides va recess 32 between the drum 16 and the plate 28 whichrecess progressivelyl decreases in widthl in a downward direction. The recess is adapted to receive spherical articles from above, and after said articles lare engaged by the lconverging walls of the recess they are rotated by the rotating drum 16 `and thereby impelled laterally toward the margin oi theplate 28 opposite the margin on a which the hinge lugs are formed. In theY event of an article jamming so tightly` intherecess as to exert excessive pressureagainst the drinn` and plate, the latter will swing,1 on itsA pivot against the frictional pressure of the members` 2,9 to'relieve the strain on the drum and Yplate before either is scored.

1 Articles are introduced` intoV the recess 32 between the plate 28 and drum 16 through an aperture 33 in the journal bracket 14,. andsaid aperture is partly surrounded by a raised flange 34 which assists in directing the articles intov the aperture as the articlesare periodically delivered thereto from a'hopper.presentlyA to be described.

Secured to the plate 28 below thev aperture' 33y is a baffle or ledge 35 which extends obliquely downward and is so positionedthat it receives the impact of the falling articlesbefore they are sro engaged by the converging walls of thel`rec1ess'32 and thusrprevents the articles from wedging` in the rece-ss as they fall thereinto. The ledge`35 may be positioned at various elevations on the plate28 when articles of different sizes are to be classified so that it will always intercept the articles before therlatter is engaged by the ,converg-v ing walls of ther recess.

Spherical articles in the recess 32 are" pro,

-pelled by the rotating drum 16 toward the free.

margin of the plate 28, at elevations correspond-y ing to their respective diameters,` the oversizeh and undersize articles being disposed respective- 1y vin higher or lower planes than articles ofthe proper diameter.

The variously classied spherical articlesv are received at the delivery side of lthe recess 32 by individual receptacles, and for so.v receiving the classified articles I provide a vertically'ad-v justable arcuate slide 36 which is formed with a dove -tail groove 37 (Fig. `3) and mountedl upon a complemental dove-tail guide 38 comprising a ange extending radially from the free mar` ginal portionof the plate'23. 'Ilhe guide 38 isv provided witha rack 39 and meshedtherewith is a pinion40 mountedvup'onl a `shaft `41v jour;Y naled in the slide36."andfprovided with an operating hand-'wheel '42. The curvatureof the slide 36 is concentric with the shaft 15, and the slide comprises, in effect, an extension ofthe plate 28. The concave surface of the slide 36 is formed with three generally parallel oblique grooves 43, 44 and45 which extend fromthe margin of the slide that abuts the plate 28, to the bottom margin 'of the slide. The arrangement of the grooves 43, 44, 45 is such that they intersect the respective orbits of the three classes of classified articles, correct size, oversize and undersize, and are of such depth that the articles upon engaging the grooves lose their frictional engagement with the rotating drum 16 and drop by gravity to the lower ends of the grooves at the bottom of the slide.

The vertically adjustable character of the slide 36 permits it to be raised or lowered to proper position when articles of diiferent sizes are to be gauged. A gib 46, Fig. 3, is positioned between the intertted dove-tail portions of the slide 36 and guide 38 andl is engaged by one or more cap-screws 47 by which it is forced against the guide 38 to hold the slide at the desired elevation.`

For receiving the articles as they drop from between the drum 1,6 and slide 36, at the lower endscf the grooves 43, 44, 45, I provide respective downwardly inclined chutes 48, 49, and 50 mounted upon a vertically movable frame 51. The latter is formed with an apertured boss 52 by which it isslidably mounted upon thepost 1l, and a cable 53, secured to said boss and passing over a sheave5`4, has its free end provided with a counterweight55 for facilitating the moving of the frame 51 to various elevations so that the receiving ends of the chutes 48, 49, 50 are positioned close to the bottom of the slide 36, beneath the ends of the grooves therein. A capscrew 56 is threaded through the boss 52 and bears against the post 11 for supporting the frame 51 at various elevations. Respective receptacles 57, 58, 59 are supported upon the frame 51 at the delivery ends of the gravity chutes 48,' 49, 56 for receiving the classified articles.

Spherical articles, such as the balls 60, 60 are periodically introduced into the classifying mechanism from a hopper 61 mounted upon the upperends of the frame members 13, 13. The hopper 61 comprises a barrel-shaped structure provided with central end openings, such as theY opening l62, Fig. 5, and is peripherally journaled for rotation on a horizontal axis within a set of rollers 63, 63 which are journaled4 upon an annular bracket 64 supported by the frame members 13. with a waist -portion adapted to accommodate an external gear ring 65 secured upon the middle of the hopper and meshed with a pinion '66 having driving connection, through its shaft 67, and a sprocket chain 68 with the driven shaft 23.

Internally the hopper 61 is provided at its relatively large middle portion with a circumferential series of obliquely-disposed pockets 69, 69, each of which is adapted to receive a single one of the balls 60 when in the low part of its orbit and to carry the ball upward as the hopper rotates and drop the ball into a delivery chute 70, which is mountedupon a bracket 71, Fig. 5, on the journal bracket 14, and has its receiving portion extending into the hopper through the adjacent end opening thereof and has its delivery end positioned at a lower level over the aperture 33 in the bracket 14.

Each roller 63 is formed In the operation of the apparatus, the several rotary parts being driven by the belt 27 and a supply of the balls 60 being placed in the hopper 6l, successive balls are picked up by the respective pockets 69 of the hopper and discharged therefrom into the chute 70, down whichfthey roll by gravity and fall therefrom through the aperture 33, into the recess 32 between the plate 28 and the rotating drum 16.

The balls 60 fall freely in the recess 32 until they strike the obliquely disposed ledge 35, down which they roll at slow .speed and then pass off the lower end thereof, being almost immediately thereafter engaged by the converging walls of the recess 32 before they attain sufficient momentum to cause them tightly to wedge between said recess walls. The points at which the downward movement of theA balls is arrested by the converging walls of the recess corresponds to the diameters of the respective balls.

' The rotation ofthe drum 16 causes the balls to rotate and feed circumferentially of the recess, and as their travel carries them under the slide 36 lthey selectively engage the several grooves 43, 44, or 45 therein according to their elevation which corresponds to their respective sizes. Engagement with either of said Vgrooves releases the balls from friction'al engagement with the drum 16 and they fall by gravity to the v bottom of the device, following their interceptingk groove to the respective chute 48, 49, or 50 which direct them into the proper receptacle' 57, 58,

The apparatus is rapid and automatic in operation, and vby varying the elevation of the slide 36 it can be adapted to classify balls of various diameters.

Modifications are possible within the scope of the invention as definedv by the appended claims.

I claim: f

1. In apparatus for classifying spherical articles the. combination of a pair of downwardly converging walls defining a recess of diminishing'width, means for feeding articles into said recess wherein they are' engaged by said Walls at elevations in accordance with their respective sizes, and means for moving oneA of the walls laterally of the direction of convergence to remove the articles fromy the recess selectively according to their respective elevations.

2. In apparatus for classifying spherical. articles the combination'of a rotary member and a stationary arcuate member so arranged as to define a recess of diminishing Width, means for driving the rotary member, meansfor feeding articles by gravity into said recess so that they are engaged by the Walls thereof at levelsY in accordance with their respective sizes and are fed laterally to the margin of the Vstationary member, and means thereat for directing vthe articles to respective stations corresponding tor gravity, into said recess whereby the articles are engaged by the vrotary member at elevations in accordance with their respective sizes and stationary member and fed toward a margin of the latter, and means thereat for classifying the articles according to said elevations.

5. Apparatus for classifying spherical articles, said apparatus comprising a pair of con-` verging walls defining a recess of diminishing Width, means for feeding Vthe articles longitudinally of the recess until they are engaged by the walls thereof at levelsv in accordance with their respective sizes, means for moving one of said walls laterally of the direction of wall convergence for feeding the articles laterally, at said levels, to remove them from `the recess, and means intersecting the course of the articles for diverting them to respective stations corresponding to said levels.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim `5 including means for adjusting the diverting means longitudinally of the recess.

7. Apparatus for classifying spherical articles, said apparatus comprising a pair of converging Walls dening a recess of diminishing width, means for feeding a succession of articles longitudinally of the' recess so that they are engaged by the walls thereof at elevations in accordance with their respective sizes, means for feeding the articles laterally to the delivery side of the recess, and means secured to one of said walls and formed with a plurality of grooves disposed cbliquely to the course of the articles for diverting them to respective receptacles corresponding to the said elevations. N

8. Apparatus as defined in claim-7 in which the article diverting means comprises a slide and including means for adjusting its position with relation to the outlet of the recess.

9. Apparatus for classifying sphericalarticles, said apparatus comprisingv a tapered rotary member, means for driving the same, an arcuate stationary member concentric with the axisof the rotary member and spacedY from the latter to define a recess of diminishing width, means for feeding a succession of articles longitudinally of the recess until they are engaged by the walls thereof whereby they are `'impelled laterally toward a margin of the stationary member, and an arcuate slide mounted upon the stationary member in continuation thereof and formed with a plurality of grooves which intersect the course of the articles, whereby the latter` are permitted to move by gravity to respective stations.

10. Apparatus as defined in claim 9 in which the feed of thearticles into the recess is proportional tothe speed of the rotary member.

1l. In apparatus for classifying spherical articles the combination of a pair of converging Walls defining a recess of diminishing width,

and means for feeding articles into said recess wherein they are engaged by said walls at ele@ vations in accordance with their respective sizes,

one of said walls being movable laterally of the direction of wall convergence for feeding the articles laterally'from the recess and selectively according to their respective elevations.

12. In apparatus Vfor classifying spherical articles the combination of a pair of downwardly converging walls defining a recess of diminishing width, means for feeding a succession of articles by gravity into said recess wherein the respective articles lare engagedby both of said walls to prevent further descent into the recess, means positioned between the walls of the recess for receiving the impact of the articles before they are engaged by the walls, and means for thereafter removing the articles from the recess. 13. In apparatus for classifying spherical articles the combination of a pair of converging walls of yrigid material defining a recess of diminishing width, meansfor feeding articles into said recess wherein they are engagedV by said walls at elevations in accordance with their respective sizes, means for thereafter removing the articles from the recess selectively according to their respective elevations, and means op` l erable automatically by excessive wedgingpres-A sure of an article engaged by the walls to permit movement of one Wall away from the other for relieving the excessive pressure.

14. In apparatus` for classifying spherical articles the combination of a pair of converging walls ofY rigid material defining a recess of di.`

a frictional mounting for Yone ofsaid walls to permit movement of it away from the other wall vunder excessive wedging pressure of an article engaging the walls.

15. In apparatus for classifying spherical articles the combination ofa pair of walls dening a recess of diminishing width, one of said `walls being stationary Vand havingr a margin,

means for moving the second wall with relation to the first, means for feeding articlesinto said recess so that they are engaged by said walls at levels in accordance with their respective sizes and are `fed toward said margin of the f first wall by the movement of the second wall, a ledge on the stationary walls adapted to receive the impact of the articles entering the recess before they are engaged by the walls of the recess, and means at said wall margin for selectively assorting the articles according to the levels at which they emerge from the recess.

WALDEMAR D. KMENTT. 

